Manipulation And Jealousy In Shakespeare's Othello

At first Othello had everything figured out in his life on the outside, however down deep in his heart, his insecurity regarding his race got the best of him. Iago convinced Othello with a lie that his wife is cheating on him with his second Lieutenant Cassio by saying” With her, on her, what you will’ (Shakespeare VI, I, 123) and once Othello heard that he completely went nuts and turned against the person who loved him the most, Desdemona. Iago’s seed of jealousy that he planted made Othello bring out the evil in him and made him question himself about their marriage, which latter on resulted in Othello killing his wife,

Iago's plot to change Othello's personality, and to gain the lieutenant position backfires, after his wife comes out with the truth. Telling Othello that Desdemona never had an affair. Which throws Iago into an emotionless trance and drives him to kill her. " IAGO. Filth thou liest!

Jealousy is what appears to destroy Othello. It is the jealousy suggested to Othello by Iago which caused by him to collapse. Iago is jealous of Othello’s success and by saying “I hate the Moor” several times, it is clear that Iago is going to revenge Othello for giving Cassio a better position. “I know my price, I am worth no worse a place.” To revenge Othello, Iago plants seeds of doubt in Othello’s mind and so arouses the ‘monster’ of

Iago is full of contempt for Othello because he hired Michael Cassio over himself. Roderigo, who is sick with love for Desdemona – and paying Iago for aid in pursuing Desdemona – questions him, asking why he does not simply resign from his lower status position as he is so distraught. Iago’s response is villainous: “I follow him to serve my turn upon him” (1.1.38). He continues to serve Othello out of spite, and the actions that follow throughout the play are driven by this deep hatred of Othello. His first scheme at hurting Othello is to rouse Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, and alert him that Othello and Desdemona have eloped. Roderigo and Iago go to Brabantio’s house and call out into the night, disturbing him. Brabantio, confused, asks why they are summoning him, to which Iago responds, “an old black ram is tupping your white ewe” (1.1.86). He adds that his “daughter [is] covered with a Barbary horse” (1.1.109). If these statements are not salacious or disturbing enough, he finally explains that he has come “to tell you your daughter and the Moor are making the beast with two backs” (1.1.112-113). Iago puts a horrifying, evil, disgusting image into Brabantio’s mind, while at the same time revealing the great extent to which he despises Othello. Iago is extremely upsetting in this scene, referring to Othello and Desdemona’s relationship in vile, despicable terms, and this marks only the beginning of the pain he is to cause

William Shakespeare has presented Iago as the antagonist, who manipulates other characters in the play, Othello. From the beginning to till the end, he is a controller of other characters and his sole motive was to take revenge on Othello and Cassio. Every character in the play believes that Iago is the most reputed, honest, reliable, and direct speaking person. Therefore, he uses that trust to manipulate every character in the play for his sake of revenge. Despite his negative intention in the play, Iago love for his wife Emilia is true and pure. Iago is truthful only to his wife. Iago was a good with everybody in the beginning, but when Moor chose Cassio over him for the post of Othello lieutenant, he got jealous. Iago believed that he was the only one who was worthy of that post and who deserved a promotion. However, choosing Cassio over him made him hate Cassio and Othello. This incident seeded the plant of revenge in Iago’s heart for Othello and Cassio and he wanted to kill them both. From this point of play, Iago starts his plan in manipulating another character of play for his revenge.

Iago capitalizes on Othello’s general distrust in women to gradually incorporate more negative feelings into the mix. Iago creates the link between women, promiscuity, and disloyalty by convincing Othello that even Desdemona can fit this generalization. Iago tells Othello that “they do let God see the pranks They dare not show their husbands” (III. iii. 202-203), which adds to Othello’s doubt in Desdemona’s recent actions and her closeness to Cassio. This stereotype not only portrays Desdemona in a negative light, but provides a realistic reason to why Desdemona would betray Othello. The longer that Iago slants the events and actions of Desdemona, Othello becomes more convinced about the disloyalty of his wife. Even without ocular proof, Othello has

Iago also urges Othello to recall that Desdemona deceived her own father by marrying Othello. To Brabantio, Desdemona pretended to be afraid of Othello's dark looks; she pretended to shake and tremble at Othello's exotic demeanor, yet "she lov'd them [Othello's features] most" (207). The implication is clear; Iago does not have to state it: If Desdemona deceived her own flesh and blood, she might just as naturally deceive her husband.

Othello is insecure about his race and Iago uses this insecurity to bend Othello to his will. As he expresses his love for Desdemona to the duke, it is apparent that the love is both pure and elevated. However, at the end, Iago poisons Othello to an extent that he believes that she must die; else, she will betray more men (V, ii, 6). This radical change occurred through the gently toying and prodding of Othello by Iago. Then Iago takes advantage of the alienation of Othello from Venice.

Othello not only murdered people but he allowed Iago to manipulate him so easily. His emotions over being in love with Desdemona blinds him from rationality, only leaving anger for somehow being wronged. He finds being married to Desdemona “too much of a joy”, (2.1.182) he cannot control his emotions thus Othello cannot handle the situations he’s put in becoming over jealous and her alleged infidelity a harder pill to swallow. Othello argues with Desdemona while in Emilia’s presence confronting his wife over the handkerchief he gave her. Othello’s emotional state

He not only continues to justify Roderigo’s lust by saying “but we have reason to cool our raging motions, or carnal stings our unbitted lust”(1.3.325-326) he also mocks him by questioning Roderigo’s masculinity with “it is merely a lust of the blood and a permission of the will come be a man.”(1.3.329 -330) A way to get a person, particularly a man, to do anything he’s unsure of, is to question his masculinity; as men have always been seen to be strong, decisive, and providers for their families. Iago, knows this, and takes advantage of it with Roderigo, and

Iago also has his own suspicion that Othello had an affair with Emilia, Iago’s wife, and seeks revenge. Iago’s soliloquy at the end of “till I am even’d with him, wife for wife” (Act 2, Scene 1) has the notion that Iago might sleep with Desdemona so that Othello must feel the same destructive jealousy.

Roderigo thought Iago had his best interest at hand for him and did everything he said. He even told Desdemona’s father how she betrayed him to marry Othello. The reason Iago is seeking revenge on Othello is because he is jealous of Cassio for getting the job over himself. He felt he deserved the promotion over anyone else and will stop at nothing in ruining everyone’s life to get what he feels he deserves. In order to destroy Othello’s life Iago lies and says Desdemona (Othello’s wife) and Cassio (Othello’s lieutenant) are having a relationship.

Iago directs Othello towards being jealous and suspicious of his wife Desdemona and his friend Cassio. As Othello’s suspicion of Desdemona increases, the words of Iago were there to spur him on until finally Othello is driven to fall from the heroic pedestal that he started with in the beginning of the play.

He has it out for Othello and does not stop until his actions lead to the multiple deaths at the end of the play. The reader knows that Iago makes Othello believe that his wife, Desdemona, is cheating on him with Cassio; however, none of this is true. The manipulation of Othello’s perception on different situations forces the thought of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness into Othello’s mind, where it poisoned any thought of her, and eventually those poisoned thoughts drives Othello to kill Desdemona. However, Emilia, Desdemona’s maiden, Iago’s wife, and the only witness to Iago’s plot, unveils the truth of the situation to Othello; “he [Iago] lies to th’ heart… and your [Iago’s] reports have set the murder on [(referring to Desdemona’s murder)]” (Shakespeare 5.2.152-183). Othello was so shocked that “My friend… honest Iago” (Shakespeare 5.2.150) made him kill his wife, and as a result reveal the savage that was hidden from

Othello is a noble general. He is expected to make good decisions in different situations. Othello’s weakness controlled his bad decisions. Othello was very much in love with his wife, Desdemona. Iago wanted to get revenge on Othello for assigning Cassio as lieutenant. So, Iago put the handkerchief in Cassio’s possession. The handkerchief was the first gift Othello gave Desdemona. After Othello saw Cassio with the handkerchief, he thought Cassio was sleeping with Desdemona. Othello killed Desdemona due to Iago manipulating him to think Desdemona was cheating. “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! / It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock / The meat it feeds on” (3.3.167-69). Othello’s mind was full of jealousy, leading to making poor decisions. After fully believing his wife is having an affair, he thinks its best if she dies. “Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men” (5.2.6) He feels like Desdemona needs to die or she will continue to cheat on other men. Othello tells her to “confess” about her affair but Desdemona never cheated. “They are loves I bear to you” (5.2.40). She feels as the only sin, she has ever done was loving her husband. Othello believed Desdemona was a “whore”. “O fool! Fool! Fool! (5.2.323). Othello now realize Iago set him up. He knew about the handkerchief being placed in Cassio’s possession. He cannot believe he killed his wife because of Iago. After Desdemona and Emilia dies, Othello stabs himself. He was a supposed to be a noble, brave man. “I kissed thee ere I killed thee. No way but this, / Killing myself, to die upon a kiss” (5.2.358). He kiss Desdemona before he killed her and then kissed her again, before he dies.